For the fourth time in the last decade, UNLV is in need of another head basketball coach. After four years at the helm, the Rebels fired Kevin Kruger following their 70-58 loss to Utah State in the Mountain West Tournament.
With two years remaining on his contract, UNLV fired Kruger on Saturday, per college basketball insider Jon Rothstein. During his four-year run, Kruger never failed to lead the Rebels to a winning record but also did not make a single NCAA Tournament appearance.
UNLV hired Kruger in 2021 following the departure of his predecessor, T.J. Otzelberger, who left to become the head coach at Iowa State. Kruger spent the previous two years as Otzelberger’s assistant before accepting his first head coaching job.
Ten years before returning to the team as a coach, Kruger played the final year of his college basketball career at UNLV in 2006-2007. There, he played under his father, Lon Kruger, who remains one of the best head coaches in UNLV basketball history.
The second-round loss to Utah State dropped the Rebels to 18-15 on the year, keeping them out of the NCAA Tournament for the 12th consecutive season. Barring an NIT or CBI postseason run, UNLV’s record will keep them under the 20-win threshold for three of Kevin Kruger’s four seasons.
Despite the disappointing results, Kruger’s release is mildly surprising, given the promising way UNLV ended the season. Since Feb. 8, the Rebels ended the year on a 7-3 run, including the Mountain West Tournament. Their only losses in that stretch came against New Mexico, Utah State and Colorado State — the three best teams in the conference.
UNLV basketball’s underwhelming recent run
With Kruger’s firing, the UNLV basketball program continues its current stretch of mediocrity. Once known as a top mid-major program, the Rebels have not found sustained success since Dave Rice last led them to the NCAA Tournament in 2013.
Though Kruger did not have any previous head coaching experience, fans hoped he would bring the team back to relevance due to the legacy of his father. In seven years with the team, Lon Kruger led UNLV to six postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournament runs. Lon Kruger’s 69.4 percent win percentage with the team is the third-best in program history, behind Hall of Famer Jerry Tarkanian and Howie Landa.
Since Lon Kruger’s departure in 2011, three of UNLV’s four head coaches have effectively been fired, now including his son. The lone exception is Otzelberger, who is currently leading one of the best programs in the country.
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